Media Center PC to HDTV hook up?

Dinah Shore

Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2003 - 22:58 GMT

I just bought a HP Media Center PC that came with a nVidia GeForce 5600 card. The video card has outputs for DVI, VGA, and S-Video. My HDTV has inputs for component and S-Video only. I'm going to use the HDTV as my monitor for computing needs as well as viewing TV/movies.

Any suggestions on how to hook this up to get the best resolution? Should I buy a VGA to HDTV component converter?

i don't understand why anyone bothers to connect their pc to hdtv to watch movies, just buy a decent monitor and watch them on it. connecting to the tv, at this point, is something the video card makers tout. they should instead concentrate on adding hdtv reception to their video cards so buyers could watch hdtv on their computers. the hdtv cards out there are made by companies that i've never heard of, so i won't buy one. at this point hdtv's resolution isn't high enough to me, most pc monitors will do better.

Derek, I took a look at the hyperlink for the item you recommended to Dinah. It appears as though that piece of equipment replaces your PCs current monitor by using its VGA port. Is there anything out there that uses the computers DVI port that converts to YPbPr component inputs.

I want to use my hplaptop as a tv in my den. I want to watch movies while he watches games on the tv. I have comcast digital cable. How can i do this? Also could i send a signal from our bedroom tv to the laptop and be able to watch it in the den?

Is there a way to hook up my laptop to my Hitachi projection HDTV and keep the signal digital all the way, such as by using some sort of PCMCIA card with DVI output to convert to DVI and then putting that into the DVI input on the TV?

You can read my review on Media MVP device which makes that Media PC connect over the home network to reach that TV you have either in your living room, family room or bedroom without bringing that PC in the same room.

ok i have a really ugly problem. Im trying to hook my tv to my computer. I have a normal 4 pin s video wire, it fits in my (old) computer... i also have a wire that has 6 pins and a rca like cable hole on the other end. my tv doesnt have an s video hole...

First off on your TV side there are RF to S-Video/Standard Video and Audio L/R converter selling for $17 and up that will allow you to hook your TV into your PC S-Video. But be warned the picture quality from your TV to PC without an Video decoder will not be the same when you use a Media MVP device. That's the best way to go. If you don't have a network in the house you can use cross over cable but you need a network 10/100 card in your PC once you have such a device you can use the crossover cable from the PC Network Card to the Media MVP 10/100 NIC, then from the MVP would hook into your TV (if your using an RF-to S-Video converter) in your case.

Might be but with a free program called GB-PVR at http://www.gbpvr.com you can built or take any PC turn it into a HTPC (Home Theater Personal Computer) and just add a WinTV PVR-150, 250, 350, or 500 hardware capture encoder card and buy as many Media MVP 1000 for each of your TVs to playback all video, music, net radio, FM Radio onto your living TV from your network PC.

Excellent results!

Regards, TipStir!

jtilt

Unregistered guest

Posted on Wednesday, January 05, 2005 - 11:36 GMT

"I'd say all true HDTV's come with a DVI input...It doesn't sound like you have a true HDTV... :-( Remember anytime you use converter boxes you lose some quality..."

that really does not make sense to me.... My HDTV can display 1080i resolutions and looks awesome. But it does not have a DVI plug? So are CRT monitors not "True" because they have serial connections instead of DVI? The best video cards out there today still convert the precious digital signal to analog for serial connection monitors. Signal degradation? Yes. Not true? Absolutely NO. I think HL2 and DOOM III look pretty awesome through my serial connection 21" monitor. Most people are not that a-nal about "video signals", and would drool over my HDTV picture in "true" 1080i or 720p. Maybe my car is not true because it has anti-lock brakes and an automatic. Dont get me wrong I love manuals and think everyone should learn the clutch, but I would never call some of the most beautifal machines in the world untrue because they dont meet specific criteria. Thats just crossing the line into a-nal-ville. Please wipe in the future

bobjohnson

Unregistered guest

Posted on Friday, January 07, 2005 - 05:10 GMT

"at this point hdtv's resolution isn't high enough to me, most pc monitors will do better."

1920x1080 is a pretty damn high resolution considering most monitors usually only go to 1600x1200, which leaves the question why would you want to watch a movie on a small little 17 or 19 inch monitor with 4x3 aspect ratio when you could be watching it on a 30 inch widescreen at a resolution that rivals most pc monitors.

qwick

Unregistered guest

Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 01:34 GMT

HI all, I want to hook up my computer DVI to my HDTV DVI. i have an nVidia Ti4200 w/ VGA and DVI. I succesfully hooked the 2 together and set the TV as the primary monitor. However, the picture "Scrolls" . I hope that is clear what i mean...not sure how else to explain it. In my TV manual it says it is not compatible with computer DVI....so i guess thats why i have this problem. Is there any way i can hook it up flawless without converting to component and still use the direct DVI cable? Perhaps i need a special driver? Thanks

Anonymous

Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 06:39 GMT

Nvidia did release some new drivers in November, you could try their site to see if there is one for your Ti4200. Does it "scroll" when you use S-video out too? Just wondering.

qwick

Unregistered guest

Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 17:06 GMT

no, it doesnt scroll using S-video, but the picture quality is drastically reduced and it only is produced in a 4/3 aspect ratio....the tv is 16/9

I am not able to get the custom resolution-in-resolution tool in Powerstrip to take the computer feed on my Mits 52-725 DLP. I am running a windows box, of course, with an nVidia 6800 Ultra graphics card with dual DVI out. Like another poster here, the Mits went to a solid blue screen as soon as windows tried to load the desktop when connecting into the VGA port on the TV. However, I am able to get the TV to take the computer feed when connecting DVI out (computer) to HDMI in (TV). Then I downloaded PowerStrip to try to resolve the overscan that was pushing icons off the sides and top of the screen. However, when I use the auto-resizer and tell Powerstrip to make the settings my new default, the entire computer image shrinks to about one-quarter of the screen, rather than the corner-to-corner image I selected using the auto-resizer tool. Can anyone make any suggestions? I am starting to suspect the nVidia card, no? Again, any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Nevermind -- I just figured it out. First rs-size the resolution on the PC to 1024x720, then go to PowerStrip and use the tool for creating a resolution-in-resolution. It takes on the TV. Now I have a full windows desktop at 720p with all items properly fiting on my 52" DLP. Kool.

user 2200

Unregistered guest

Posted on Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 00:26 GMT

Is it really as simple as hooking up the dvi out of the video card to the dvi-1.0 compatable port on the back of my hd-ready tv, then using powerstrip to adjust the resolution settings?

deanster

Unregistered guest

Posted on Monday, February 07, 2005 - 23:06 GMT

To make use of an hdtv as a pc monitor, do you need to have one of these (signal converter)to connect my laptop to the tv and get the best resolution? what are the things i need to watch for b4 buying something like this? how can i take advantage of my dvi-d output in my laptop and hdmi input on my tv? these ones do not use dvid or hdmi... Please HELP! THANX

I have a Toshiba P10 laptop running Windows Media Center Edition. It has both RGB and S-Video out capabilities. I currently use my CRT 27" TV as a monitor (connected via S-Video) when using Media Center which isn't horrible, but when viewing the regular desktop it isn't very clear. I am thinking about purchasing a HDTV - specifically a 42 or 50" Sony GW LCDRP, but I am concerned about connecting my laptop to the TV as it does not have a PC in and I think the only way would be to use the S-Video. Should I be concerned with this? What would teh difference be?

jeffro

Unregistered guest

Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2005 - 21:17 GMT

i just needed to connect my spare pc to my mitsubishi 42" in bedroom (1000 bucks at goodguys) so that i could surf in bed. my video card did not have dvi output and i didn't want to pay extra for a tv with vga input. so, i just went out to compusa and bought the cheapest video card with a dvi output (ATI for 39 bucks) and connected it to the DVI input to HDTV with a standard dvi cable that was just lying around. i downloaded powerstrip and read through instructions and was able to display my pc output properly after some trial and error. it only cost me 39 bucks for the new video card. didn't have to buy new pc or upgraded to a hdtv with vga. looks great.

I am currently connected from PC to TV with the S-Video cable, but i'm sure you all know that the picture sucks. DVD's, even with Nvidia's special codec for MCE, look grainy (compared with my component input samsung dvd player) and the desktop environment is downright unbearable. I've tried all manner of custom timings in powerstrip to get the overscan in check. Currently my desktop extends vertically outside the screen by at least 10 percent. The sides are underscanned by five inches on each side too.

Am I polishing a turd here? Is the real problem that i'm not using the 1080i component inputs on my tv? And how do I get component from my nvidia 5700 to the tv? I've seen ATI cards that have dongle options to convert the signal, but I don't want to buy yet another expensive card.

I would also like to figure out why it is not possible to use the DVI output of my card into the DVI input of the Philips TV. When I try this hookup I get terrible flickering and distortion at all resolutions including the native res of the tv.

Please help the Noob! I will do whatever I have to do...just want to get this HTPC to work for web browsing, DVD watching, etc. TV reception/HD broadcast decoding is not important right now.

I am using the GeForce 5200 card in my media centre using a plasma as monitor. In order to get full screen view when watching TV, I have had to set my resolution on PC to 1280 x 720. The problem then is that I lose the edges of the screen. I have tried using Powerstrip to 'shrink' the screen, but there is no setting to do this (only option is to go left/right & up/down). Any ideas?

dleahey

Unregistered guest

Posted on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 22:11 GMT

HELP! :o) I am trying to hook up my RCA rear projection HDTV up to my XP Media Center through e-GeForce 6800 Ultra (Dual DVI and S-Video ports). My TV has DVI but won't display ANY picture from my PC on it. I know the card is ok coz the VGA/DVI adaptors work for my CRT monitor. Any ideas? Oh, I am using a DVI-D cable too. I am at a loss... Thanks

HELP! :o) I am trying to hook up my RCA rear projection HDTV up to my XP Media Center through e-GeForce 6800 Ultra (Dual DVI and S-Video ports). My TV has DVI but won't display ANY picture from my PC on it. I know the card is ok coz the VGA/DVI adaptors work for my CRT monitor. Any ideas? Oh, I am using a DVI-D cable too. I am at a loss... Thanks

i think this will solce any prioblems any one might have hooking up a media cewnter pc to an hdtv that does not have a Dvi input http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvadapter/its A DVI to Component Video Adapter i think it worlks very well

for any one looking for a decent sized affordable tv this is the best on the market they give you everything you need for a great price samsung 32" Premier Series DynaFlat Flat-Tube HDTV with Built-In HD Tuner - Silver Model: TX-P3271H

Nope - don't work! The manual says you need to install the ATI Catalyst drivers before it will work and of course with my Nvidia Geforce 6800 Ultra...no luck! Back to the drawing board... I am COMPLETELY STUMPED!!!! Why won't my DVI work with my TV?!?!?

I have a Philips 30" 16:9 HDTV that I just hooked up to my Nvidia 6800 with some luck using a DVI-D to HDMI cable. Running 1080 mode on the tv with 1024x768 res. The edges are cut off, small print shakes quite a bit and is a little fuzzy, cant get rid of that unless I run the TV in 576p mode, then the shaking stops but the res has to be lower. I'm just cloning my desktop and using the tv for gaming, the picture is beautiful in games @ 1024x768. My full screen video started flickering really bad for some reason though through media player, cant figure that out. Worked before, cant figure out what I changed but it dont work anymore. Other than that it works good hooked up like this.

I am having the same flickering problem as many others in this thread when connecting a PC to a EDTV/HDTV monitor.

I have a PC running Windows XP MCE 2005 and I am trying to connect it to my Panasonic TH-42PWD7UY EDTV plasma monitor using the ATI 9550 graphic card on the PC.

When I connect it to the monitor using a VGA cable I get this annoying flickering on the monitor. It works flicker free when i use the composite output on the graphic card, but ofcourse it doesnt give me nearly as good picture as the VGA output should give me.

Does anyone have a solution to this flickering problem? Why does it occur?

I have an 52" Rca HDTV. I am trying to figure out the best way or I should even connect my pc to my cmcast converter. I am not sure how to go by doing this i.e...what are the correct cable? What should i look for to see if this is working.

Got the ATI adaptor, took my Nvidia 6800 Ultra back and exchanged it for ATI Radeon 700 Pro (PCI Express) - cheaper, works and stops me getting annoyed!!! I suggest people move away from Nvidia - ATI is the way to go. Only problem is I still can't use my DVI cable, only the component. I guess my TV and PC are not compatible...

I am bald and still want to pull my hair out on this one... has anyone found a dvi to YPbPr adapter for use with nvidia based cards? I am using a TI-4800 card and want to hook up to a LCD projector using YPbPr and would prefer not to use s-video for the task... I have seen these listed all over for ATI cards but has no one found anything for use on the NVIDIA cards???

GTP

Unregistered guest

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 17:00 GMT

Hello all,

I'm in need of some info and would greatly appreciate some insight:

I purchased an HP MCE 2005 computer (model m1280n) last week and have not even turned it on yet so I could familiarize myself as thoroughly as possible with all its capabilites / possibilities. The basics of the system are P3.2, 1GB RAM, 300GB HD, ATI Radeon X600 Pro 256MB DDR memory, PCI-E (Express) interface & wireless KB & mouse. See more complete specs here -http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&docname=c00291217

What I'm envisioning is being able to utilize the PC as the family entertainment / communication center with which to record and play back videos, surf the net, e-mails, video editing etc. in the family room where the widescreen HDTV (ready) TV is located and utilize the HDTV as the monitor. I will also connect the PC to a home network through a wireless network / internet connection and to a Panasonic Home Theater System (the connection of the PC to which I'm not too concerned with at this time unless it involves video connections).

The PC has the following inputs: 1 coax for combined Cable / TV / Antenna, 1 coax FM input as well as 2 RCA audio inputs. The video outputs are for VGA, S-Video & DVI.

I'm using a HDTV STB from Cox Cable which has component outputs (green, blue, red) and a DVI output (as well as a coax output). My HDTV (ready) TV (Panasonic model CT-34WX54, 34" widescreen pure flat tau) has 2 sets of Component inputs (green, blue, red), S-Video, standard RCA video and audio inputs and a narrow almost USB-like sized "HDMI AV In" slot in which I can see several small pins (I'm not at all familiar with this input). There is NO DVI or VGA input.

My question is this: how do I get the HD signal from the STB into the computer?

I'm thinking I will need to purchase 2 DVI cables - one to run from the STB into the computer - but how do connect it - via a converter plug (so it's compatible with either S-Video or coax)? A 2nd DVI cable to run OUT of the computer and connect a converter plug to the other in order to connect the component cables from it into the TV component inputs?

Also, will I need to adjust the screen resolution settings on the PC (I generally only use 800x600, 32 bit highest color) and will I need to change the video / screen settings on the TV?

I want to buy a media center to hook up to my 42" LCD HD Wega TV. I want to be able to back up all my DVD and watch them from the hard drive. Is this possible? What are the downfalls? Can anybody recommend a specific media center and adaptors needed? Please help. Thanks.

tom.smith

Unregistered guest

Posted on Monday, May 09, 2005 - 00:32 GMT

Seems to be a lot of confusion here about PCs, HTPCs, DVRs, and HDTVs. Maybe this will clear up a few things.

First and foremost, maintain signal integrity. Every conversion degrades the signal, so minimize them. Here is the order of connection as ranked on picture quality. 1) F-connector from your STB out. This is RF-modulated analog, very very bad. This is not the digital F-connector INTO your STB, which is serial data interface. True digital, SDI is great (more on this later). 2) Composite video (the yellow plug). Slightly better than the f-connector, but not much. 3) S-video. Okay in the analog realm, it's basically a 480 interface. Still not suitable for HD. 4) Component video. This is the RGB (YPrPb) connection you see and is the low end of digital. Suitable for most small mass-market HDTVs, but you can do better. RGB is still an analog interface. The digital signal is converted to analog, pumped through three wires, and re-digitized at the TV. 5) DVI. Now you're getting into HD range. Signal stays digital thoughout the process. 6) HDMI. The current top-end of the digital realm. DVI to HDMI convertor cables exist, and they often perform slightly better than the standard DVI cables, but you'll have to try it out to see. Poor quality inputs (like DirecTv's HD system) will flat-out show zero improvement, and they may even look worse since HDMI is better at showing off defects. Lower resolution TVs may not show any differences either. HDMI cables require a longer break-in than others, but it's worth it on a good system with good inputs.

The one thing to keep in mind is break-in time. All electronic equipment needs a certain amount of break-in before it will appear at its best. When I got my Sharp Aquos, I was certain I had chosen poorly for the first 40 hours. After that, it settled in nicely and the picture is now spectacular. The same applies to STBs, and yes, even cables. I know a lot of readers will pooh-pooh that last comment, but if you ever get to a high-resolution system, whether audio or video or both, you will soon learn that it's true. Everything needs break-in. Do not rush to judgement for 40 hours.

Getting your computer hooked up to a TV can be problematic. First, not all DVI connections are identical. There are the usual DVIs you know of, DVI-A, DVI-D, and DVI-I, but there are also single-link and dual-link DVIs as well. Dual-link is not two DVIs connected together, but it functions like that. Where a single-link DVI runs three signal wires, dual-link runs 6. Dual-link is required for serious high-end equipment and doesn't come cheap. I'm running an Apple 30" display on my PC and it requires dual-link, provided by a Matrox Parhelia 256DL. If your TV supports DVI in from a PC, go that route. Set your PCs resolution on that monitor at 1280 X 720 and 60 Hz and see if it works. Underscan/overscan can sometimes be a problem. If you run into that, PowerStrip will take care of it. You should also experiment with other settings until you find the one that looks best. It doesn't hurt to try, however, you can run into problems if you force your TV to do something for long periods of time it just wasn't meant to do. If a setting doesn't work, move on to something else instead of spending hours trying to force it to work.

If you are looking to build a DVR out of an HTPC, don't waste your time or money unless you go the SDI route. A set top box with an HD DVR will give much better results since it will capture the data stream without degradation. An HTPC can only do it in s-video for anything not off the air, which you will not be happy with. It's less than DVD quality, and we all know how barely acceptable DVDs are when compared to HD. This will be worse, anywhere from a fair amount worse to very much worse. Depends on your cables, how well they're shielded, how noisy (RFI and EMI-wise) your PC is, etc. An s-video DVR is standard definition, plain and simple. I lease two HD DVRs from my cable company for $20 a month, counting DVR service ($7.50 each for hardware and $5 for the service). There is no difference in quality between live TV out of the STB and what comes off the DVR.

In fact, the biggest difference for me right now is the MPEG-2 encoders my cable company is using. When Voom was running, they had MPEG-4 and the difference was astounding. All the MPEG-4 channels were much better than what I have now, while the MPEG-2 channels were about the same. You'll never have a truly great picture (up close and personal) until you get MPEG-4. Dish Network is moving in that direction, since picking up the Voom 21 channels and the Voom bird at 61.5, so we can only hope that EchoStar gets their act together and gives us real HD again. E* looks to be more HD aware than D* and the cable companies. My cable company just keeps adding more and more SD channels by freeing up bandwidth through compressing their HD channels. HD-Lite I call it.

So what about component video into a computer? Yes and no. There are commercial input cards, but they run about $800-1500. Worse yet, most only go up to about 480p. The reason for the horrific expense-performance ratio is because 1) not many people are lined up to buy them, 2) the cards require onboard MPEG encoders (remember that component video is analog), and 3) SDI works as well or better and it's cheaper.

GTP

Unregistered guest

Posted on Monday, May 09, 2005 - 03:57 GMT

This is a follow-up to my post dated May 1, 2005.

I connected my MCE 2005 PC to my HDTV (ready)(wide & flat screen) via a DVI to HDMI cable (the TV does not have DVI or VGA inputs).

I also connected my HD STB from Cox Communications to the PC using S-Video in and my DishNetwork satellite receiver via the coax cable. The picture from both is very good. The only problem I encountered was that I wasn't able to program my MCE Remote control to Cox's or DishNetwork's receivers...

The Windows Desktop projected onto the TV fairly well but be a little better. In addition, there is just the very slightest flickering but the most critical problem is that all of my edges are cut off the Windows Desktop when viewing on the HDTV. I'm not able to see my Start button or Task Bar along the bottom of the TV and my Desktop icons are only partially visible along the left edge of the TV. The same pretty much goes when viewing the Media Center interface and its icons.

I called HP tech support and they explained that my HDTV isn't able to support the correct size required to properly view the Desktop etc. My MCE PC supports all types of different resolutions and refresh rates (hertz). I played around with the resolutions and screen sizes but nothing remedied this problem.

My question is; am I stuck with this problem thereby having to resize the windows in order to access menus and icons or is there a "fix" for this issue that will allow viewing of Windows Desktop / Media Center UI the way it should appear on a computer monitor?

Any and all insight would be most helpful.

tom.smith

Unregistered guest

Posted on Monday, May 09, 2005 - 12:23 GMT

This goes back to the over/underscan issue I mentioned before. LCD panels do not over/underscan, but CRTs do. PowerStrip can force your desktop to show up properly. The link above to the Microsoft site talks a little about PowerStrip and where you can get it, etc.

tom.smith

Unregistered guest

Posted on Monday, May 09, 2005 - 12:38 GMT

As an aside, the whole overscan issue comes about because CRTs have a hard time with the extreme edges of the screen. If you were to remove the bezel on your TV, you'd see more of your desktop, but likely not all of it. The reason is that the TV manufacturer overscans the image, meaning part of it is outside the edge of your CRT. This way, you don't see the problems at the extreme edges. Let me guess, you're missing oh, what 10% of the picture? That's the typical amount of overscan. That means you see everything except about a task bar's width at the top and bottom of the screen, and probably about the same at the sides. You likely are missing part of that top row of icons, as well. You dragged them down a little and never realized why it was happening. PowerStrip will fix all of this. It has a learning curve, though. Practice on something cheap and expendable if you can, that way you won't be afraid of it. I've personally never heard of anybody damaging their monitor with PowerStrip, but I'd be remiss to say it can't happen. If you don't know what's happening and why, learn about it first. Knowledge is power.

tom.smith

Unregistered guest

Posted on Monday, May 09, 2005 - 13:06 GMT

Final thoughts on overscanning: Think about spray painting a canvas. You always start the spray gun off the edge of the canvas, move across it smoothly, and finish past the edge of it. You turn off the spray gun, move across the canvas a little lower than the first pass and repeat. This is exactly what your CRT is doing. With progressive scan, you paint the object top to bottom with no gaps. With interlaced, you paint top to bottom leaving one spray width's space between passes, then you go back and fill in the gaps with a second pass later. PowerStrip is defining how far off the canvas you turn on and off the spray gun. You are going to force it to turn on and off at the very edge, rather than 5% out. If you turn it on and off INSIDE the canvas, the outer edges don't get painted and appear black on your TV (this is underscanning). Underscanning is preferable to overscanning, it's easy to learn to ignore any black space surrounding the image. PowerStrip also allows you to center an off-center image and lots of other things too. It's $30 shareware, and worth every penny of it for CRT users. (Insert usual disclaimer here--I don't use PowerStrip myself, I have an LCD panel and don't need it.)

Speaking of LCDs, they come in two flavors, analog and digital. Digital cost more and look much better, so quit skimping and buying the cheapest one on the market. It will always be analog. Digital LCDs use DVI connectors, analog ones use the standard 15 pin D-shell. Choose wisely, grasshopper.

todditami

Unregistered guest

Posted on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 16:33 GMT

CAN ANYONE SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE AUDIO/PROJECTOR QUETION FOR ME?

We are looking for the highest resolution setup we can get with a projector. What kind of Video Card / Projector combo do I need? Also am I going to have to run the audio output of my sound card to a reciever? And this may be a stupid question but is my computer DVD drive going to give me the resolution I need?

THANKS!

jimmyp10

Unregistered guest

Posted on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 17:59 GMT

Hi, i have a 19" hdtv lcd moniter with dvi, s-video, component video etc. I would like to be able to watch my digital and HD cable thru my pc to my monitor. I have comcast digital and HD cable service and do not want to pay to rent another reciever. ive heard there are cable box converters for ur pc, that would work, but i cant seem to locate any, i would also like my pc to work as a tivo system, which i know is possible, so does anybody have any ideas?

tom.smith

Unregistered guest

Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 03:33 GMT

You cannot build an HD DVR out of a PC for anything other than OTA (unless you go SDI). That's it, plain and simple, end of story. You cannot watch HD cable or satellite (at HD resolution) on your computer. You can only watch miserable s-video at best. Hate to rain on your parade, but that's the way it is, like it or not. The HD N*zis will not allow you to copy HD content without breaking the law. Your cable company will rent you an HD DVR for very little, and that's still the best way to go. Time-shifting full HD resolution, or as full as your cable company gives you. Voom is gone and nobody else will do HD like they did and we're all the worse off for their demise. I'm still sad.

MM

Unregistered guest

Posted on Monday, May 16, 2005 - 22:37 GMT

Tom is exactly right. I have my 60" Hitachi hooked up to my PC via All-In-Wonder 9600 (with additional YPbPr adapter), and it is great for surfing and playing games, but there is NO WAY to go from my cable box to the PC then to the TV, effectively squashing my dream of a unified system.

Some TV's do have a Cable Card Slot, which lets you attach the cable directly to your TV (still not the PC), but that's as good as it gets.

Until the cable providers and Media Center makers get together and solve this little dilemma, I won't spend one red cent on these so-called Media Centers.

Anonymous

Posted on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 19:51 GMT

I hv a DELL Inspiron 8600 laptop. It has only a S-Video output. I want to connect it to my new Princeton 19inch monitor, which has a DVI 24 pin input. Is there anyways to connect the S-video output of the laptop to the DVI input of the monitor, so that I can watch DVD's on the new monitor.

I want to play videos on my PC and watch them on my TV. I gather that both my PC (output) and TV (input) have digital capability and i want to keep the signal digital, no conversion in between.

What cables or converters should i buy?

Thank you.

MarkInColumbus

Unregistered guest

Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2005 - 16:23 GMT

I just installed an HP Media Center PC and connected it via component cabling (Y, Pb, Pr) to my Toshiba HDTV (no DVI on the TV). While the Media Center app displays correctly on the TV screen, I can only see about 40-50% of the main Windows screen when I minimize the app. I've tried changing resolution settings, but it doesn't seem to help.

Hello - I have an IBM Thinkpad with only a VGA output. I've connected this to my ViewSonic Plasma via the VGA input. I play movies through my InterVideo WinDVD player and it looks great, but I'm wondering if I could still do better (it's not full screen - gets letterboxed). The ViewSonic has a DVI-D input - should I get a DVI card for my Thinkpad and make that connection? Will it be that much better for playing movies? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

DonCO

Unregistered guest

Posted on Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 23:01 GMT

I have a pc with a chaintech video card with DVI out. I want to connect to my HDTV which also has a DVI connector. Once I connect the two, I get such severe overscan that I can only see a small portion of what would be output to the PC monitor screen (maybe 10%) but blown up to fill the entire screen of my HDTV.

I would Like to make my TV my monitor. I have been told many different way to this. Some are very expensive and some are very cheap so I'm a little confused as to what to do. I have purchased a VGA JTWY|RADEON 9000 32M 8X RT to install in my computer. Do I need any software to make this work or do I just need to connect the proper cables and that is it?

Okay here is my dilema. I am trying to hook up my computer to my HDTV. I have a Dell dimension with an nVidia 6800. I am using a DVI to HDMI cable, and I get video fine. The problem I have is getting clarity on my tv (Phillps 30PW8402/37) I am new to this idea, and need some help. Anybody care to lend me a hand in figuring out this technology that I am still a novice at? Thanks.

lordkamel I have spent months trying to build my own like you I had a TON of problems I tried 4 different ATI Graphics cards, and two tv turner cards. What I found out was if you don't have all the right peices in place you won't build a really great Home Theater PC. Either it'll be fuzzy, or too loud, or it won't fit in your livingroom. I worked with some people at Blueado.com who gave me the inside scoop, they said if you are going to build your own start from scractch and do your homework otherwise you'll be disapoited. You might want to see what they are doing with thier Media Centers? or trie alienware but those are expensive.

Hi all. I am very much interested in buying a SONY KLV-S32A10E. I downloaded the user manual and read that you must not connect your PC in the HDMI port of the panel, even though they allow you to connect DVI equipment to the HDMI port , using a DVI to HDMI adaptor. I have read many threads about other panels, where people describe how they successfully connected their PC using DVI to HDMI adaptor...And others that had no luck with it...The thing is, that I want to use my HTPC as digital source, thus I have to connect it in the HDMI port. Does anyone know if there is any problem with this panel doing so? Has anyone tried to connect the PC using DVI to HDMI cable with the SONY KLV-S32A10E ?

I am using an Ati Radeon X700 Pro.

jc94107

Unregistered guest

Posted on Wednesday, November 09, 2005 - 22:25 GMT

Tom Smith, you're awesome! appreciate your intelligent postings.

Robert E

Unregistered guest

Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 22:59 GMT

Hello all. I'm not super tech savy so apologies in advance if some of info I give below is useless.

I just got the Vaio RC110G with MCE 2005 and ATI Radeon X300 Graphics Card. I have it hooked up now via DVI to a 50" DLP 720p HDTV. For some reason, the max resolution I can get in my display settings is 800x600. Under Advanced Tab Display Settings, Displays, FDP Properties, it says my max resolution for my display is 1024x768. Is there any possible way to get that resolution. Sucks real bad having to work in 800x600. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi all I have been reading so of the listings here very helpful Could anyone help. I have a laptop with Nvidia 6800 ultra card, D-sub & DVI-D out I am trying to conect to a Sony Wega HDTV LCD but this has component YPbPr input is there a way to conect these. I am really "PIG SICK" as all the new HDTV have HDMI. I was 18 months to early thinking I was future proofing. Any help please......

Anyone know about the D-Link "media lounge?" I have a wireless network at home, that has a DSL connection to the internet. My entertainment system involves a 50" Vizio HDTV plasma screen, Dish Network HD-DVR, a JVC RX-D401s receiver (with two HDMI in connections and one HDMI out). My question is, can I use the D-Link Media Lounge product to "connect" my entertainment system to my computer network? If so, how badly will signal be degraded? (We are talking nearly line of sight, and a distance of about 60 feet.)

i just bought a notebook with meidactr but i dont know how to recieve my tv image (if I am playing a video game) unto my computer. Is this possible? I have the media ctr set up correctly where i am receiving cable into my notebook, but i am stuck on how to do the prior challenge...

BrettG

Unregistered guest

Posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 19:42 GMT

Hey. Quick question to see if anyone has experienced this. I just hooked up my Sony 60" LCD projection tv to my media center pc through a DVI to HDMI connection (out of my Radeon 9600). Media Center detected it as a Sony TV and I got the resolutions working and the picture looks great. Problem is that if I shut the TV off or switch to another input, when I switch back to the HDMI input my screen is blank. The only resolution is to reset the media center after which the picture appears fine. I used to run a dvi to component adaptor and had no issues. Does anyone have any ideas?

I just bought a new extra computer with security cameras. I want to hook it up to my 65" hi-def TV. The tv is 5 years old, pre-DVI. It does have composite and 1080i. The video card that came with it only has s-video. Picture sucks. Is there a way to get the pictures good with my tv? I will replace the card or buy adaptors. but not ready to replace the tv. Are wireless solutions good?

Nvidia 7800GTX card that has 2 DVI outputs and 1 s-video. I am trying to connect my card capable of HD output to my HD Sony Wega LCD TV. Problem is the TV only has component video inputs (which by the way are more accurate in colour reproduction than DVI inputs) - analogue inputs are still far superior to digital ones. Anyhow - does anybody know of an adapter (DVI to component) that will allow me to carry the HD signal from the DVI output on my card to the component input of my HDTV? I see there are many around that only work with ATI cards.

Has anybody resolved the issue with connectiing a projection HDTV to a pc using a DVI/HDMI cable? I can get video and audio however the video quality is practically the same as what you would get with S-video. Please help, I have a Samsung TX-R3080WH and connected to a dell with an NVIDIA e-GeForce FX 5500. Thanks.

Well, I'm a bit new to this whole scene, but I purchased the DU-37LZ30, which is an LCD HDTV. It has "plug and play" capability with a PC, but the issue is as follows: I set the TV in PC mode, turn everything on, and bottom line, I have a maximum resolution of 1024x768. I'm connecting with a DVI cable, and I used powerstrip to force it to accept the native resolution of the screen, which is 1366x768, but it looks like garbage. Other resolutions don't even work. I can switch the screen to regular DVI mode, and set my video card to an HDTV format, of which 720 seems to work the best but I am missing about 1/2 an inch on all sides of my screen! This shouldn't be that difficult. I have an LCD screen, and I'm plugging it into a pc. It's DVI to DVI, and I don't want a stretched out nasty image that I'm getting with 1024x768. I don't want to switch my screen to a 4x3 aspect ratio. Please help.

hello, My name is john and I have a magnavox 42 MF 230A 42 inch plasma tv. I just purchased an ATi X1600 pci express card and I am trying to hook up my computer to this widescreen. the card and screen both work fine when using vga and s-video but I get a no signal error on the widescreen trying to use DvI the widescreen is DVI - D and the card is DVI -I and I am using a dvi - D cable. Any ideas would be great Thanks my email is jdullaghan@1000islandsschools.org

hi all, im new on here so pls bare with me. I bought a SVGA cable so i could attach my tower, which has a nvidia6600 gt graphics card,to my 42" lg hdtv. When the pc loads up the "windows loading" screen appears but it never gets to the password screen so i can log on, the screen just goes blank, and no lights appear on my keyboard either. I tried to see if it would work in "safe mode", and it did, i could log in and look through the items on my desktop etc. So i tried to load up in normal mode again, and still i couldnt get to the password screen. Any suggestions? Thankyou.

I tried S-video for the PC to HDTV solution and of course the quality sucks. Has anyone tried using a high-quality S-Video cable (RAM, Monster, etc)? The regular S-video is horrible, but would a 20 or 30 dollar top-notch S-video be worth it? Or am I wasting money and just opt for the transcoder?

All you need is 24K Gold plated S-Video cable and it doesn't matter what brand you buy. Even a Philips Ultra S-Video gives you the same type of picture you would get with Monster S-Video cable that would cost you $39 or more. Why spend the extra cash on that. You could go into a Big Lot and buy the same cable for $3.99..

I have a NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT with PCI input. I have an adapter for a VGA monitor cord. I'm trying to hook this up to my 50" HDTV (toshiba plasma) with a VGA input. The only way I can get the desktop to show up is with "wide span" and then it only shows 1/4 of the desktop. Any other way it is set up leaves me with a blank screen. Any ideas for settings that might work?

NOOB HERE! Sorry if this question has already been answered. I have read through the previous post. Seen some answers that close to what I'm after but I'm not sure.

I have a Samsung 32" LCD HDTV which has HDMI input and PC (15-pin) input which one is the best to use to connect my PC? My PC has a GeForce FX 5700 Ultra which has the normal 15-pin, S-Video and DVI output. If the best choice is DVI (converted by cable) to HDMI, for example, can I use both the 15-pin and DVI ouput from my card at the same time for easy switching from Monitor to HDTV? If the best choice is PC input to the HDTV could I use a splitter from my computer, again for easy switching from Monitor to HDTV?

Am playing with the Media Center software for 1st time on Vista U., and need help with setup planning, 'cause I'm no AV expert. I want to keep my pc in my office and TV/DirecTV in the other room (just 1 TV). Do I HAVE to buy an extender (XBox for now) to do this, or can I simply install long runs (60 ft distance) for audio/video and USB IR Blaster functionality between the STB and PC? I don't want the fan/drive noise from the extender or the extra expense, but I see from reading cabling articles that the cost for 120 feet of various cables will add up, too. I already have cable runs established in the crawl space, so that's not a problem. Thanks much, beno

how do i hook up my wii to my windows media center? my computer has the av inputs built into it, but when i change the connection to composite video i run into a problem. the problem is that the media center cant find ir remote. how do i go around this to make it work?